More Than Your Average Love Story
by zombieromance
Summary: Completely AU. No ZA. "Don't ever apologize for me spendin' time with ya. Because, there ain't any other way I'd rather spend my time." He looked back up and saw her staring at him. They sat looking at one another in complete silence for a couple of minutes until she finally said something. "Daryl?" "Hmm?" She playfully rolled her eyes at his response.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One - Day One**

They have been seeing each other for a few months now. It came as a complete shock to the rough redneck and the sweet farm girl but obviously nobody else. They had always been close friends. She was the only person who could get him to open up about things that he intended to keep closed away forever. He helped her feel brave and because of him she became a little more adventurous. They had a way of understanding the other in ways that everybody around them didn't. They could read each others emotions just by looking at them. It seemed like when they were together, they were constantly laughing. They were best friends and they were there for each other, no matter the time, no matter the reasons. They always had this unbreakable bond from the moment they met. It was a few years ago when Herschel Greene had passed away of a heart attack, that bond had only strengthened.

Of course, everyone had been so kind to Beth and she did appreciate it. The passing of her daddy was only the hardest thing she ever had to go through. So, when people would show up at the farm with a casserole or dessert, she would accept with thanks. But, more than anything, she was thankful for Daryl. He was caring and so supportive but not smothering her like everybody else. She knew they weren't trying to be but because they don't mean to, it doesn't mean it wasn't annoying. Which, she felt bad for even thinking that when those people were being nice. But, she didn't feel bad enough to stop thinking that.

So, Daryl would come over after work with a case of beer and he would help her all the food that she had. Once that stopped, she would either cook them dinner or he would pick something up for them on his way over to her house. They would eat, clean and then grab some beers and head out to the barn where they would sit up in the loft and talk for hours. The barn had always been her favorite place on the farm but since her daddy died, she was there more now than ever. She had leaned on Daryl more than she ever had. And, she started to apologize to him for taking up so much of his time.

"Why are ya apologizing girl? Ya ain't done nothin' wrong."

"Well, I mean, I have been dependin' on you a lot lately and that's not fair. I'm sure you have better things to do than spend all your time with me," she said with a shrug then looked down in front of her.

He watched her face in the moonlight and his heart jumped into his throat at the mixed emotions he read. Sadness from missing her daddy. Embarrassment at showing her vulnerability. And, even worse, the guilt she had for depending on him so much. He mentally shook his head. Stubborn girl didn't get it. She has no reason to be sorry or to feel guilty. He would do anything in the world for her.

"Hey," he spoke softly, "look at me."

Of course, she didn't.

"Beth."

After a couple of more seconds of silence, she finally looked up at him. A strand of hair had fallen into her eyes so he leaned forward and softly brushed it behind her ear. But, he didn't move his hand away. He placed his hand on her face, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"There ain't nothin' I'd rather be doin' than spendin' my time with you."

He heard her quick intake of breath and saw her baby blue eyes widen, surprised at his admission. He moved his hand from her face and leaned back against the post behind him, stretching his legs out in front of him. He took a sip of beer before continuing.

"Do ya remember that night before your daddy died, when we took my bike up to the quarry?"

Her only response was a head nod.

"Remember I had told ya I had somethin' I wanted to ask ya?"

He didn't get a verbal response. Again, only a head nod.

"Well, I was gonna ask ya to go to dinner with me that weekend but I chickened out. Then, everything with Herschel happened and it wasn't the right time."

"Daryl…" she whispered his name, but he didn't let her finish.

He was now staring intently at the beer bottle in his hand.

"Don't ever apologize for me spendin' time with ya. Because, there ain't any other way I'd rather spend my time."

He looked back up and saw her staring at him. They sat looking at one another in complete silence for a couple of minutes. She was the first to break the silence.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

She playfully rolled her eyes at his response.

"Just so ya know, I ain't sorry for all the time you've spent with me, either. Because, there ain't no other way I'd rather spend mine."

He gave her a smirk in which earned him a smile from her.

"Oh, and Daryl? One more thing."

"What's that?"

"I would've said yes."

He only hesitated for a second before taking a quick, deep breath before he asked, "Well, what would ya say if I asked ya now?"

She smiled.

"Well, if you want to know, you'll have to ask me."

He let out chuckle.

"A'right," he said, sitting his beer on the floor beside him and leaning in towards her. "Would ya like to go out this weekend with me? I mean, on a date?"

Without missing a beat, she gave him an enthusiastic, "Yes!"

They went out that Friday. He took her to dinner at her favorite restaurant. Nothing too fancy because it is King County, Georgia after-all. The closest fancy restaurant was three counties over and close to an hour drive. But, that didn't matter to him. He'd drive how ever far she wanted him to. But, there wasn't much he wouldn't do for her. The only reason he didn't bother with that one hour drive was because neither of them were big on anything fancy. They liked their casual, laid back, simplified way of living. (It was one of Daryl's favorite qualities about her. A lot of women lived for the high class living with the fancy dresses, jewelry, and expensive dates. But, Beth Greene wasn't most women.) After dinner, they both decided they could go for a beer. (The restaurant they had dinner at was an alcohol free establishment.) So, they went to the local bar, owned by their friend Tyrese. He took her completely by surprise when he asked her to dance once a slow song came on the jukebox. From there, they went back to his cabin so they could take his motorcycle out for a ride.

He drove them to a secluded spot he found a few years back and they sat and talked for hours. Eventually, they got back on his back and he drove her home to the farm. Like the gentlemen he was, or at least the gentlemen he was to Beth, he walked her to her door. Neither of them were ready for the date to be over so he was happy to accept when she invited him in for coffee. Finally, late into the night (or early in the morning, depending how you looked at it) they finally called it a night. She walked him to the door. Before leaving, he had asked her on a second date, which she accepted. It was then that they shared their first kiss.

It was nothing too over the top. He had taken a step towards her, his hand going to the side of her face, hers resting on his wrist. They leaned toward each other to share a quick but gentle kiss.

At that moment, he doesn't think he has ever seen such a beautiful smile as the one that she was giving him. He smirked and gave her a wink before saying, " G'night, Beth."

"Good night, Daryl."

She watched as he walked down the porch steps, got on his bike, started it up and drove away.

"Best first date ever," she squealed once he was gone and the front door closed behind her.

Fast forward to six months later and he was on his way once again to pick her up. But, this time would be the last time because today is the day they move in together.

After Herschel died, Maggie wanted nothing to do with the farm. Not that she didn't care about it but because she knew nothing about running one. And, Shawn, well he was off doing whatever the hell it is that he does wherever he does it. And, Beth. His Beth, she couldn't handle all the memories here. At least not alone. So, when they decided to move in together, they decided to move into the farm house together. Beth couldn't bring herself to sale it. But, what she could do was redecorate and that is why he was picking her up. He was dropping the last of his stuff off and then they were going shopping for the house. Everything from paint, to furniture to new appliances. Along with anything else that she came across and her little heart desired.

He drove the truck down the long, dirt driveway. He smirked when he saw her sitting on the top step of the porch, her head buried in her arms that were resting on her knees. She never had been a morning person. Especially not a 7:00 in the morning type of person. He put his truck in park and turned off the ignition. He got out and made his way towards her as she stood up.

"G'mornin', baby," he greeted her, as he leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Mornin'," she mumbled.

He knew she wasn't being snappy with him. Because, when he says his girl isn't a morning person, he means she _really_ isn't a morning person. He gave her a once over and thought she was the most adorable person he has ever seen.

Her hair was still somewhat messy, most of it tossed over on one side of her head. She had left her face bare of makeup except for eyeliner and mascara. Lord knows, no matter how tired she is, she will refuse to leave the house without applying those two. She was wearing a white hoodie with black letters that read "this is my I woke up 10 minutes ago hoodie" on it. She had on a pair of her black yoga pant and a pair of black flip flops on. She was more than adorable. She was beautiful. Yup, he was the luckiest damn man alive.

"Ya ready to get the day started?" He asked her, trying to hide his smirk because he already knew how she would respond.

She gave him a sideways glance as she took a sip of her coffee that she had had sitting beside her when he had pulled up.

"Ask me again at noon."

He laughed and pulled her against him with one arm and placed a kiss on her temple.

"Do you want some coffee? I made a whole pot," she offered to him.

"Sounds good. Besides, we need to get you more coffee so I can get my nice girlfriend back," he joked.

"Ha ha," she said in a sarcastic tone.

He laughed again as he led them into the house and into the kitchen. He went to pour them both a fresh cup but she stopped him and told her she got it.

He sat at the kitchen table and watched a she poured him a cup and handed it to him. She then poured herself one, adding her favorite creamer to it. When she went to sit in the chair beside him, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down into his lap.

"Are ya sure you're ready to take me on full time?" he asked, looking up into her eyes.

"Definitely," she responded with a smile.

"You say that now."

He faked hurt when she playfully punched him in the arm.

"I'm more than ready, Mr. Dixon. It's you who should worry about living with _me_."

"'S that right?"

"Mhmm. I mean, you get to wake up to _this_ every morning," she motioned to herself.

"You're damn right I do and I can't wait. Getting to wake up beside the most beautiful woman in the world sounds pretty damn amazin' to me," he replied. He then kissed her before she could argue with him.

They finished their coffee and started to unload the last bit of his things that he had to move in. They placed the boxes in the living room, deciding that they would unpack those once they got back home. Daryl had never been one big for shopping but shopping for the home he was going to be sharing with Beth was, dare he say it? Fun. But, he was thinking it had more to do with Beth herself than the actually shopping. They went to a countless number of stores and got more than they thought they would actually able to get. There had been too many sales to pass up. By the time they finished shopping, it was past two and both were starving. They stopped by their favorite diner and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Once they got home, they got to work on unpacking the rest of Daryl's things. Finally, after hours of hard work, the couple collapsed onto the living room couch. The pair exhausted from the day.

They sat on the living room couch, too tired to move to go to bed. Their fingers laced together while he gently rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand.

"I'm impressed with how much we got done today, hun," she said, looking up from where her head was resting on his shoulder.

"We work pretty well together."

"I agree."

Silence returned between them and they started to wonder if the other had fallen asleep.

'As comfortable as I am here, I would be much more comfortable in bed," he whispered.

"Yeah, But Daryl?" she whined in the playful way that Daryl always found so adorable.

"What's the matter, angel?"

''The bed is all the way upstairs and that is so far."

He laughed at how cute she was. Just like she wasn't a morning person, his girl also wasn't a night person. She didn't handle being tired very well, at all. Without saying a word, he stood up and turned towards her.

"C'mere, baby," he said, as he bent down and picked her up bridal style.

"Daryl, put me down right this second. You can't carry me up the stairs. I'm too heavy."

Stopping mid-step, he kissed her and said, "Woman, would you hush. I got you."

Once inside the bedroom, he sat her down on her feet and they got ready for bed. They knew they needed to take a shower after their long day but they were too tired. She changed out of her clothes and traded them in for a pair of small cotton shorts and one of his t-shirts. Which, in his opinion, looked a hell of a lot better on her than it ever would on him. She threw her hair up into a messy bun before crawling beneath the covers. He tossed his clothes and slid in beside her in his boxers. He turned off the light beside the bed and then pulled her into his arms. Her head rested on his chest with her arm thrown over his stomach as he ran his arm up and down her back.

"Good night, Daryl. I love you," she said, raising up to kiss him on his cheek.

"G'night, baby. I love you, too."

With that, they tightened their hold on one another and fell into a peaceful sleep. It might not be the first night that they spent together but it was the first night in _their_ home. It was the best night sleep either of them had.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This took me so long to update. One - I have a lot going on right now and have been distracted. Two - I honestly want to take my time and put so much effort into this story so anybody and everybody who is kind enough to read it, enjoys it. I mean, really enjoys it. So, here is chapter 2. Another light-hearted chapter. Please, follow, favorite and review. (Even if it's constructive criticism because I'm all for learning new ways to become a better writer.) Also, if you have any request for what you'd like in this story, please feel free to send them my way. As in writing prompts, dilemmas for our favorite couple, certain 'scenes' you'd like me to add in, anything your heart desires. Thanks again for reading. Xoxo.**

 **Chapter 2** \- **5 Years Earlier**

 _"This is so damn stupid," Daryl thought to himself._

 _He sat at a table in the town's local bar with his friends Glenn and Maggie, waiting for her little sister to show up. Brit? Bev? Hell, he didn't even remember her name. This was the last place he wants to be, a part of Maggie and Glenn's weekly date night, waiting to meet a girl who was probably just as bitchy as her older sister._

 _Of course, he wouldn't say that about Maggie to anybody, especially Glenn. Besides, it's not that he didn't like her but damn, did that woman speak her mind. Which is a quality he can admire in someone. It's not like he hasn't had the tendency to let someone know what he thinks about them. Unfortunately, Maggie sometimes just didn't know when to shut up. So, even though he liked Maggie **most** of the time, he had to admit that she sometimes got on his nerves. And, tonight was definitely one of those nights. _

_"I'm sure my sister will be here shortly," Maggie spoke up with a hence of annoyance in her voice. "She can never be on time for anything."_

 _Daryl gave a shrug of his shoulders as he took a drink of beer, acting as if he wasn't bothered by what was just another inconvenience to him. He already didn't want to be here as is. Now Maggie's sister, (whom Maggie insisted that he meet) is running late._

 _"40 damn minutes to be exact," he said to himself._

 _"I swear this girl better not bail out or so help me -"_

 _"Oh, hakuna your tatas, Mags. I'm here."_

 _He saw the purse being slung onto the table before he heard the voice. He looked up and damn near fell out of his chair. Standing over Maggie was the most breath taking woman he had ever seen. Her blonde hair was in perfect waves and reached to the middle of her back. Her makeup was noticeable, but subtle. The brightest part of it being the bright red lipstick painted perfectly on her lips. She was sporting a black leather jacket over a white shirt that was too short, showing off a couple inches of her smooth skin. She was wearing the tightest pair of faded jeans Daryl had ever seen on a woman, yet they didn't look trashy. The outfit was finished with a pair of black converse shoes. Damn, if this woman didn't look good._

 _"Took you long enough, don't ya think?" Maggie asked to her sister, snarkily._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that we're all on Maggie Rhee's time right now," the younger Greene sister replied sarcastically, plopping down into the chair beside him, crossing her legs with just a bit of sass. "I hope everybody is ready to have the next however long to be dictated by someone other than yourselves because Queen Maggie is at large and in charge, ready to control our every move."_

 _Daryl couldn't help but smirk. Not only was this girl beautiful but she was sassy as all get out. Finally, someone who isn't afraid to go toe to toe with the older Greene sister and can dish it out just as much as Maggie could._

 _Maggie rolled her eyes and went to speak but was quickly cut off when Beth turned her attention to him._

 _"You must be Daryl," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake._

 _"Mhmm," he replied, shaking her perfectly manicured hand. Who would of thought black nail polish could be such a turn on. "And, it's Beth, right?"_

 _She smiled and nodded her head._

 _"'S nice to meet ya."_

 _"It's nice to meet you too, even though Maggie didn't give me much of a choice."_

 _"Beth! That's so rude!" Maggie interjected._

 _Beth just shrugged her shoulders and replied nonchalantly, "Well, you didn't. I'm assuming my sister didn't give you much room to argue with her about meeting me, either. Am I right?" she asked Daryl._

 _"Beth," Maggie tried to interrupt but Daryl cut her off._

 _"She's right. I kinda didn't have a choice 'bout comin' tonight, either."_

 _Beth gave her sister a 'ha-ha' look and then turned and gave him a smile that he was confident stopped his heart for a moment. He has known this girl barely 5 minutes and she has already made his life more interesting. Maybe this night wouldn't be as bad as he originally thought._

* * *

 _By 10:00 Glenn and Maggie were ready to go home. They had sat around drinking and talking for awhile. Well, most of them talked, Maggie and Beth mostly bickered. Daryl found himself to actually enjoy being around the blonde Greene sister and if he was being really honest, he could admit to himself that he was enjoying himself. He couldn't help but be worried when Glenn and Maggie announced they were going to head home that Beth would leave, too. Thankfully, that isn't what happened._

 _"Did you drive over here or did you walk?" asked Maggie as she stood up from the table._

 _Beth couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I walked, Mags."_

 _"Glenn and I can give you a ride home."_

 _"Thanks but, no thanks. I can find my way home from here."_

 _"Bethy.."_

 _"For hecks sake, Glenn. Please, get your overprotective, overbearing and overdramatic wife out of here before I strangle her."_

 _"Okay, we're going," smirked Glenn, while pushing Maggie towards the door. "You guys have a good rest of the night."_

 _Once the couple left, Daryl and Beth sat in, surprisingly, comfortable silence._

 _"I'm gonna get me a drink. You want anythin'?"_ _she asked, going to stand up._

 _Daryl reacted before he could stop himself. He placed his hand gently on her arm as she went to stand up and shook his head. "Stay. This drink 's on me. What'll ya have? Another coke?"_

 _"Budweiser, please," she smiled up at him._

 _His only response was the raise of an eyebrow in amusement. She hadn't had anything with alcohol in it all night, only drinking vanilla coke._

 _He returned to his seat and gently placed her beer i front of her before taking a swing of his own._

 _"Thanks," she smiled sweetly at him._

 _"S'not a problem," he shrugged as if it was no big deal, which it wasn't._

 _"I'm sorry my sister talked you into meetin' me. You probably had better things to do tonight than sit around her with me."_

 _'Nah. I actually had fun tonight. "m glad she talked me into comin' tonight."_

 _He didn't know who was blushing more, himself or the beautiful blonde sitting beside him._

 _"I am, too. I've had a good time tonight, even with Maggie annoying the shit out of me."  
_

 _Daryl tried not to laugh but he couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping his chest at her choice of words._

 _"Don't tell her I said that. I don't need another 'Daddy wouldn't approve of that language' lecture from my holier than thou Sister Margret."_

 _"Don't worry. Ya secret's safe with me," he laughed out._

 _"Ya wanna get out of here?" her question catching him by surprise, his response surprising him even more._

 _'Where do ya wanna go?"_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: It has been so long since I have updated this. And, I am so sorry. Every time I would write, I would think of a new idea that I felt I just HAD to post. And, finally, I think this is it. This just flew out of me compared to how the others took forever for me to even write at all. If this is not what I actually wanted, well, too bad for ME because I am not going to hold off any longer than I already have! Also, Beth is going to come off as a brat and spoiled and whiny. Please just know, that it is all in good humor between her and our oh so gorgeous Daryl Dixon.**

 **By the way, yesterday (01/06/19) was Norman's birthday so... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NORMAN REEDUS! xoxo**

 **Anywho, hope you babies enjoy. *Muah* xoxo**

* * *

 **Day 8 -**

She had always been told, and always believed, that it was the small things that mattered the most. The smell of a fresh flower, enjoying the view of an early morning sunrise, or the small gesture to or from somebody you loved. It was always the small things that made Beth feel as if everything in the world was right and couldn't go wrong. It was the small things that she cherished the most and held closest to her heart. It was the small things to Beth that meant the most.

And, today was filled with multiple moments that she knows most would consider small but to her would forever mean everything to her.

She slept in this morning. A rarity for her. It was only 8:00 in the morning but compared to her usual 5:00 wake up time, it felt nice. It was a small thing but it put a smile on her face first thing that morning.

Letting out a small yawn and stretching, she rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty. She placed her hand where Daryl usually would be but it was cold. He had been awake for a while.

As she went to get out of bed, their bedroom door crept open and in walked the man she was going to go look for.

"Hey, you," she said sleepily.

"You were supposed to still be asleep, missy," he said, while carefully trying to close the door.

Beth eyed him up and down, admiring the view. He had no shirt on and a pair of gray sweatpants on.

 _Is it hot in here or is it just me? Ah, hell. It's not me that is hot. It's my freakin' boyfriend._

"What is that?" she asked playfully, eyeing the tray that he was carrying.

"This," he smirked, "is our breakfast that I thought that we could enjoy in bed together."

He gently placed the tray on his bedside table before bouncing on the bed causing her to giggle.

"G'morning," he whispered, leaning towards her to place a kiss on her cheek.

"It definitely is," she smiled. "Now, on that tray of yours, there wouldn't happen to be a cup of coffee for me would there?"

"Hmm. Let me see," he said, turning to retrieve the tray from the table. "There is orange juice, bacon, eggs, toast, a flower but, nope. No coffee," he winked at her.

"Daryl," she jokingly whines as she smacked his arm. "I know you aren't brave enough to come up here with all of this food but no coffee for me to drink. You aren't that stupid."

Daryl laughed out loud on that one.

"Is that what you think?"

"That's what I know. Now, can I please have my coffee?"

"Ok. Fine. Here you go, princess," he said as he reached over and grabbed the hot cup of coffee off his bedside table.

She wrapped her hands around the cup and inhaled the warm aroma. She took a sip and moaned as the first drop hit her taste buds.

"Mmm. I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby," Daryl replied between a moutful of bacon.

He glared at her from the corner of his eyes when she giggled.

"Wha'?"

"I was talking to the coffee. Not you," she giggled again.

"Okay. That's it," he said as he took her coffee and then the tray and placed them both on the floor by the bed "You're getting it now."

Beth had no time to respond before he was on top of her, tickling her.

"Oh my gosh! Daryl! Daryl, stop!" she squealed between gasps for air and all of her laughing.

"Stop what?" he laughed as he continued his playful attack.

"Okayokayokayokay," she breathed heavily. "You win."

Daryl stopped his attack on her but didn't move from where he was. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"You're beautiful."

She smiled up at him and leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"And, you're handsome."

If he could, he would stay there forever, looking down into those beautiful blue eyes. But, he was so much bigger than she was and knew he was probably crushing her. So, begrudgingly, he rolled off of her and back onto his side of the bed, pulling her into his chest as he kept an arm wrapped around her. He smiled when he felt her snuggle as close as she could to him.

They lay like that for a few minutes before she reached over and grabbed her coffee from the floor where he had placed it and sat up slightly so she could take a drink but still remained cuddled next to him.

After taking a sip of coffee, she admits, "This is one of my favorite times of the day. At least," she added with a shrug, "on the days that neither of us has to work."

"Yeah? Why is that?"

"We get a perfect view of the sunrise," she said, pointing to the window to emphasize her point. "For some reason, coffee tastes better at this time of day than any other time. And, it's just a plus having the most handsome man in the world here with me," she playfully nudged him.

"You got any more favorite moments?"

His voice came out raspy and in a whisper. He stared at her as if he was trying to actually see into her soul. These were moments that he loved. These were moments that he cherished. When it was just the two of them and nobody else around. When they sat as close as two people could possibly sit, and just speak openly and honestly about everything.

"Yeah. It only happened once so it isn't a repetitive kind of thing. But, that night up in the barn when you finally asked me out."

She had snickered when she said it but he could tell she was serious. He smiled back. He really liked that particular moment, too.

"Anymore, moments?" he prodded.

"I also love when the weather is warm and we take your truck and just drive around with the windows down. We turn on the music and just spend the day singin' and dancin'.."

"You mean, **you** singin' and dancin'" he corrected her. She just rolled her eyes in response causing him to laugh. "I enjoy those moments, too," he admitted.

"Yeah? You do?" she asked, almost surprised.

'Mhmm."

"What do you like so much about them, Daryl Dixon? You hate anythin' involvin' singin' and dancin'," she laughed.

"True. But, there's always these moments, when a particular song comes on. You get really excited. The window is down and your hair is blowin' everywhere but you'll look at me and give me the biggest smile while you dance and sing even louder than you did to the previous song. And, it's in those moments, as quick and as little as they are, I am reminded just how lucky I am to have you."

She stared at him, her mouth slightly agape.

The world saw Daryl Dixon as a tough, redneck asshole. Which he was. But, they didn't see him the way she did. She got to see the romantic side of this man. The sensitive side. The playful and funny side. She got to see the **real** side of him that body else got to see. The side that he hid from everybody else, to protect himself. But, if you were to ask Beth Greene, she loves both sides of Daryl because both sides are part of him.

"I love you, Daryl Dixon," she smiled at him.

"I love you too, baby."

* * *

 **Again, AN: I Said earlier in the chapter that there were multiple small moments in this one day, so the next chapter is going to be a continuum of 'Day 8'. Hope y'all enjoed. Untill next time, babies. xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I know I said this chapter was going to be the last chapter continued. But, Janice, my muse, put this in my head. She is a bitch like that. ;) So I am sorry for not sticking to what I told you. Please forgive me. Hope Y'all are enjoying this story. XOXO to all those who have favorited, followed and reviewed. You, babies, are the best.**

* * *

 _ **4 Years Earlier -**_

 _Oh, her feelings were hurt. And mad. Okay, more hurt than mad. Fine. She wasn't even mad but she was pretending to be mad because she SHOULD be mad but she isn't. She is just hurt. But, she wants to be mad. She doesn't want to be hurt, she wants to be mad. Angry. Pissed, even. But that wasn't her. No, that wasn't Beth Greene. Beth Greene doesn't get mad, she gets her feelings hurt because she is so sweet, kind, caring and trusting. And, so damn stupid._

 _Ugh. What an annoyance. She trusts everyone and that's how she always ends up in this damn position. Meeting someone, falling for them, TRUSTING them and then getting hurt. Then, she does it all over again. It's a vicious cycle. "You can't fix stupid," she mentally mocked herself._

 _She had liked Zack. She had. But, once again, she wasn't good enough and the guy she wanted, had wanted someone else. They had made plans for tonight. Something simple. Dinner and a movie at the Black and White movie theater in town._

 _Walking to her car, finally off of work and ready to go home to get ready, she rounded the corner of the building, and she spotted him._

 _Of course. What a surprise. He wasn't alone. He was with Amy. And, they were trying to see who could suck each other's face the hardest. So rude and so, well, disgusting._

 _She turned back around and took the long way to her car, giving Zack and Amy time to leave the area without seeing her._

 _But, she didn't want to sit at home for the rest of the night. If she did, she would end up stuffing her face with junk food and go through an entire box of tissues. She would sit there and feel sorry for herself. And, that wasn't Beth Greene's style. If Beth Greene was good at anything, it was pretending that shit wasn't bothering her. She was also good at distracting herself from acknowledging that it actually did. "Fake it until you make it, Greene," is what she has always told herself when shit got a little tough for her. And, that wouldn't be any different this time around._

 _Besides, it's Friday night. So, why not go to Abe's bar for some music, delicious food and more importantly, a shit ton of alcohol._

 _So, she went home and showered and changed. She kept her hair down. She did her make-up. Adding her bright red lipstick because she was feeling extra sassy. Okay, she was sad but damn it if she wasn't going to get her sassy on tonight. She pulled on a skin-tight, white tank top, which made her boobs look amazing if you asked her, then covered it up with a red and black plaid shirt. She decided to keep the plaid shirt unbuttoned. She pulled on her cut-off shorts and finished the outfit with a pair of her cowgirl boots. She was going casual tonight but that didn't mean she couldn't look hot at the same time._

 _She took one last look into her full-length mirror. "Damn, Greene. You look fucking hot," she said, winking at her reflection. She then grabbed her wallet and keys and left for the bar._

 _Walking into Abe's bar, she looked around. Not empty but not too crowded. The stereo system was blaring an old Tom Waits song. Her eyes glanced over at the bar and smiled when her eyes fell on him._

 _Her best friend, Daryl Dixon._

 _And, oh boy did that man look delicious. He was wearing a white t-shirt. Short sleeved so she could see the muscles in his arms flex as he rested them on the bar in front of him. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, covered in grease stains from work, and his black combat boots. His hair was a mess like always and oh dear Jesus._

 _"I think I had a mini orgasm."_

 _Good God every time she looked at this man, she damn near started drooling. How is it possible for one man to look that fucking good?_

 _"My night just got a whole lot better," she thought to herself before sauntering over to the man._

* * *

 _"What are you doin' here, handsome?" the soft voice came from behind him._

 _He hid the smirk behind the bottle of beer he had been nursing to turn and looked at the beautiful blonde. He was pretty sure the breath had been knocked out of his lungs when he took a look at her. Happens every damn time._

 _"Damn. Did she ever not look beautiful?" he thought. He cleared his throat before finally talking to her._

 _"I had nothin' to do and didn't feel like going home to just sit on my ass."_

 _"So, you decided to come here and sit on your ass instead?" she sassed, making him laugh._

 _"C'mere," he said as he stood up and held his arms out for a hug which she gladly stepped into, and placed a kiss on her cheek._

 _"What the hell you doin' here, girl? Didn't you have plans with that Zack guy tonight?" he asked as they both sat down._

 _"I did," she answered after giving her drink order to Abe. "But, then we broke up."_

 _'Wha?" he asked, not sure he heard her right._

 _"We broke up," she repeated with a shrug and taking a drink of her beer. "He doesn't know that we broke up, but we broke up."_

 _Daryl stared at her trying to read her. Her tone was definitely unattached. Her body language wasn't. She kept her eyes down, staring at the top of the bar. Her shoulders were tense and she couldn't keep her hands still. She was trying her best to act unbothered. Daryl mentally called bullshit. He knew this girl too well._

 _"Wha' happened?" he asked._

 _"The usual."_

 _"Seriously?" he asked, already knowing what 'the usual' was._

 _"I was leaving work and walkin' to my car. When I rounded the corner to the parking lot, he was standing there, trying to suck Amy's tongue out of her mouth."_

 _"Dumbass."_

 _"What?" she asked, turning to look at him._

 _"He's a dumbass."_

 _"That's not very nice, Daryl."_

 _"You can't be really be defending the guy."_

 _"I'm not defending him, it's just.," she said, trailing off._

 _"Wha?"_

 _She didn't answer him. But, she didn't need to. He got his answer when he saw the tear fall down her face._

 _He turned her face towards him and softly wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb._

 _"Don't go there."_

 _"Go where?" she asked._

 _"Don't go to that place that you always go to after some punk fucks up."_

 _"And, what place is that, Daryl?"_

 _He stared at her, giving her the 'you know what I'm talking about' look._

 _"I just don't understand why I'm never good enough," she shrugged._

 _"I said don't," he snapped, taking a huge drink of his beer._

 _He hated when she did that. He hated that she always thought that she wasn't good enough. All because of a guy who was too oblivious to recognize what the hell they had right in front of them. He hated that she questioned her own self-worth and how amazing she was. If it was him..._

 _But, it never would be him. He would never be the guy that would look at Beth Greene and recognize what he had. He wouldn't get to be the guy who got to take her out on dates and hold her hand, to show her off to everybody. He wouldn't be the one who got to give her his jacket when she got cold. He wouldn't be the guy who got to tell her every day how beautiful she is and how damn perfect she is. He wouldn't have the chance, at least, in the way these other fuck faces have._

 _Daryl was her best friend. He would always be there to remind Beth of how wonderful she is. She takes his damn jacket whenever she was cold, which was almost all the damn time. He would never stop telling her she looked beautiful whenever she asked how she looked. Which, was still weird to him. He may be her best friend but he wasn't a girl. But, he also hoped it never stopped because he loved telling her how beautiful she was. Because she is. So goddamned beautiful._

 _And, damn it! He hated when she let some asshole make her feel as if she wasn't good enough. She was wrong. So damn wrong. She was more than good enough. She was perfect. It was the guys she chose to give her attention to that weren't good enough. They didn't deserve to even have a chance with her. And, when they do get the chance, all they do it fuck it up. If they only knew how lucky they were._

 _"Daryl, I didn't mean to make you mad."_

 _"You didn't make me mad," he told her, softening his tone. "I just don't like that you let these jerkoffs affect you the way that you do."_

 _He smiled when she giggled._

 _"Wha's so funny?" he asked._

 _"How many names you goin' to call Zack tonight? I'm pretty sure 'jerkoff' is the third or fourth one you have used already."_

 _"As many as I can think of."_

 _They sat in silence after that for a moment, finishing up their beers._

 _"I got to piss. I'll be back," Daryl said placing his empty bottle on the bar._

 _Beth couldn't help roll her eyes at his crudeness._

 _"Thanks for the heads up," she joked._

 _"Anytime," he winked at her before walking to the restroom._

* * *

 _While Beth sat waiting for Daryl to return from the restroom, she ordered two more beers for them. She took a drink of hers and damn near choked when a voice from beside startled her._

 _"Weren't you supposed to go out with me tonight?"_

 _Beth rolled her eyes, this time in annoyance._

 _"What the hell do you want, Zack?" she asked snarkily._

 _"I want to know why you stood me up, Greene."_

 _"I don't have to explain myself to you. Now, leave me alone."_

 _"What's with the attitude?"_

 _"I don't have an attitude. I just want to be left alone."_

 _"You didn't look like you wanted to be alone a few minutes ago. When I walked in you looked like you were enjoying the conversation that you were having with Dixon."_

 _"You've been watching me?" she quickly turned to face him._

 _"Not watching. I just happened to notice."_

 _Beth ignored him and continued to drink her beer. She kept taking glances towards the restroom wishing that Daryl would hurry back._

 _"So, how long have you been fucking him?"_

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"You heard me."_

 _"What I do or don't do with Daryl is none of your fucking business," she spoke, sharply._

 _"How. Long. Have. You. Been. Fucking. Him?" he asked purposefully._

 _"I'm not fucking him. Not that you would have any right to judge me if I was."_

 _"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"_

 _"How's Amy doin?" she asked, giving him a pointed look._

 _"How the hell am I supposed to know how she's doing?"_

 _Beth couldn't believe how stupid Zack thought she was. Catching him making out with Amy was the injury and now here he was adding insult by treating her like she was dumb._

 _"You mean, you didn't ask how she was doin' before you started making out with her? Such a gentleman." She didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in her tone._

 _"Beth, I.,"_

 _'Zack, just leave me alone!"_

 _She didn't mean to shout. But, she really didn't want to hear another excuse from another jerk. She didn't want to speak to him or be anywhere near him. She tried to act like she didn't notice the few people in the bar staring._

 _"Beth, come on," he pleaded, placing his hand on her arm when she got up to move further down the bar._

 _"She just told you to leave her alone."_

 _Beth's head jerked to her left and she smiled as she looked up at Daryl. This man always shows up right when she needs him. She pulled her arm out of Zack's grasp and stepped closer to her best friend._

 _"You a'right?" he asked._

 _"She's fine, man," Zack answered. "We were just talking."_

 _"Wasn't talking to you. Beth," this time, he made eye contact with the girl, "ya a'right?"_

 _"Yeah. I'm fine. Zack was just leaving."_

 _"I just want to talk to you, Beth," he said, taking a step towards Beth._

 _"And, again, she told you to leave her alone," Daryl cautioned, taking a step between Beth and Zack. "If you were smart, you'd do what she said."_

 _"What are you?" Zack asked, "Her bodyguard?"_

 _"If I have to be."_

 _"Come on, Daryl. Let's just go," Beth gently pleaded, placing her hand gently on his bicep._

 _Daryl looked at her for a moment and just nodded. They turned to walk away, Daryl placing his hand on her lower back._

 _"Beth," Zack tried again, taking a step toward the two._

 _Daryl instantly turned back around, stepping to Zack._

 _"Ya don't come near her again. If ya do, you'll find me in your path and you really won't like me then."_

 _"You won't always be around to protect her."_

 _Daryl growled deep in his chest. The guy already fucked up cheating on Beth. Then, he had the balls to keep bothering her when she told him to leave her alone. Now, the cocksucker was threatening her. He looked over to the bar where Abe was standing, watching the two men. Abe nodded at Daryl, letting him know he understood what he had to do._

 _Without hesitation, Daryl balled up his fist and swung. His fist made contact with Zack's mouth and blood started pouring from his busted lip. Zack had hit the ground and Daryl kneeled beside him._

 _"There ain't many people who I would go to jail over but, that girl," he pointed behind him at Beth, " is one of them. Keep fucking with her and I promise, I'll make sure you don't do anything ever again. I will rock the fuck out of that orange jumpsuit for her. Got it?"_

 _After a nodding of understanding from Zack Daryl stood and walked back over to Beth._

 _"Daryl.," she started._

 _"I know, I shouldn't have done that,' he interrupted. "But, the prick deserved it."_

 _Which was true. He did deserve it, plus more. But, he knew what Beth was going to say. He knew because he knew Beth. She was kind, caring, compassionate and forgiving. That is who she was. So, even though Zack deserved the hit, he knew what Beth was going to say. She was going to tell him that he shouldn't have hit him. That he wasn't worth it and that he should have just ignored him._

 _But, he couldn't have ignored the asshole no matter how hard he tried because he threatened Beth. As long as Daryl's heart still beat, as long as his lungs continued to consume air, as long as he was on this earth, nobody would threaten her. He wouldn't let them. He wouldn't let someone threaten her, disrespect her or hurt her. So, even though he knew Beth would disagree with him, Zack deserved the punch. So, he was surprised when she didn't scold him. Instead, she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms instantly went around her waist. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and whispered, "thank you."_

 _She pulled back slightly and his eyes locked onto hers. "Anytime," he said with a smirk and a wink._

 _"Now," she said pulling back and turning on her heels, "let's get drunk!"_

 _He stood in place for a moment, watching his best friend walk to the end of the bar._

 _"That damn girl is gonna be the death of me. But, what a fucking way to go," he thought to himself._

 _With a shake of his head, he walked over to her and sat down on the empty barstool beside her._

 _"Cheers," she smiled, holding up one of the two beers that Abe had sat down already._

 _"Cheers," he smirked, picking his up and clinking it with hers._

* * *

 **Hope you babies enjoyed! Let me know what y'all think. Until next time - xoxo**


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